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Going green is both good for the environment and if approached correctly, it can save you money. Some of the tips I like to share are the green tips that don’t cost you money. The notion of recycling is one that is easy to implement in our daily lives, but how much thought have you put into the notion of recycling your junk mail? My practice is usually to go through my junk mail by standing right next to the recycling bin, and I just toss the junk mail into the bin as I am sorting it. However, there is a way to not only sort it, but recycle some of this junk mail for your own immediate use.

Here are some tips that will help you get some use out of all that junk mail that you receive, and how this can save you money at the same time.

Many people are in the habit of making “To Do” lists during their busy week, such as errands that need to be run, items that need to be picked up from the grocery store, calls that have to be made, etc. There is an entire industry built around the creation and sale of small memo pads at the office supply stores. They’re just handy to have. It’s easier to quickly jot your list of items down on a piece of paper than using those tiny little buttons on your smart phone. They’re portable and disposable, lightweight and require no recharging.

Instead of paying money for memo pads recycle your junk mail in this fashion:

Open each envelope of junk mail.
Then, sort the papers by size.
Create a separate pile of non-reusable paper, such as pieces that are completely covered in writing on both sides or the glossy finish type of paper that doesn’t take to handwriting well. Toss this pile into your paper recycling bin.
Stack the reusable papers so that the blank sides are facing up.
If the envelopes are blank on one side, consider reusing them for task and store lists.
Staple each stack of same-sized paper in the top left corner. Alternatively, you could also cut the papers down to a desired size (e.g. halve the 8 1/2 x 11″ papers, or cut them into quarters).
Now you have a scratch pad for quick memos!
Put one pad in your kitchen for grocery shopping lists.
Put one of them in your car so you have a pad ready to use when you are running around town. (Of course, do NOT write on your homemade memo pad when driving!)
Keep a junk mail scratch pad on your night stand to record ideas or things to do before going to bed.
For quick notes, stick one in your purse or briefcase so you have something to write on when you are on the go.

There you have it. With just a stapler and a sorting methodology, the world is now a greener place, and you’ll never have to spend money on a memo pad again.

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